Welcome to Windows 7 Forums. Our forum is dedicated to helping you find support and solutions for any problems regarding your Windows 7 PC be it Dell, HP, Acer, Asus or a custom build. We also provide an extensive Windows 7 tutorial section that covers a wide range of tips and tricks.

Windows 7: Selective black icons in explorer and themes

I have black shortcut icons but not all of them; the fixes I've found here haven't worked.

I'm trying to narrow it down. When I hover from start menu, all icons look fine.

When I actually open (I use Open All Users) Programs, the shortcut icons are black; the same happens when I drill one step further.

Again, when I hover - no matter how far down I drill - the icons are fine.

The other part of the puzzle involves themes. It seems the themes I've modified, show up black in the personalization menu. This did not used to be true. Those themes have showed up fine in preview and I've used them extensively.

This would have been easier to explain if I could have interleaved the images in the narrative but maybe I've given you enough to at least ask questions. I've just previewed and it seems the images are all a-jumble. Ah well.

This is not an end-of-the-world problem. I've put up with it for awhile but it does get annoying and I thought I'd ask for help solving it.

I'm sure a Repair Install with rectify your issues. It replaces the OS with a fresh copy and is performed while you are using your computer and preserves all you installed programs, files, folders, music, video, pictures, etc. it just replaced a damaged Win 7 OS with a fresh copy.

If you don't have a Win7 ISO you can obtain it from TechBench all editions (pro, home premium, etc. ) can be made available from any windows 7 ISO - either by removing the ei.cfg file from the sources folder, or by using eicfg_removal_utility.zipThe only links to Microsoft's page currently working on TechBench are for Ultimate x32 and Ultimate x64. You have to install the same version as is currently on your machine or it will not activate.

You will have to extract the files from the ISO with 7-Zip. I create a new folder on the desktop and extract it there. That prevents your desktop being filled with the numerous files and folders in the Win7 ISO. You can only install the version that is currently on your system, otherwise it will not activate. Before you start the repair install process you want to run Disk Cleanup : Extended - Windows 7 Help Forums with all options checked, which will significantly shorten the install process, and it also reduces the size of the Windows.old backup it creates.

Repair Install is piece of cake, at the appropriate screen you want to choose UPGRADE

If you don't have your 25 character CD key which is either on the exterior of the case, or in the battery compartment of a laptop you can use KeyFinder | Magical Jelly Bean to locate it. You want CD key not Product ID. copy and paste to, say, notepad and print to prevent typos.

Currently there are over 240 updates for Win7
After the repair install, use DISM++ to install the updates you wish. You also want to temporarily set Win Update to Never Check for Updates and use DISM++, it prevents Win Update from trying to download hundreds of updates, while DISM++ is doing that. When finished installing the updates you choose, the reset Win Updates to whatever you wish, or leave it turned off and run DISM++ every week or so for updates.Dism++ | New Windows UtilityDirect download DISM++

Run DISM++ click on updates, click on scan, choose the updates you wish to install, it will inform you of the problems other have experienced with the update and provides you with a choice.
It only install relevant current updates, not superseded one as WU does, and it does not require a reboot or prerequisites to be installed before others as WU does or days receiving updates to be current. It's done in one felled swoop!

If you have any questions or concerns, by all means let us know and we'll do our best to provide the answers.Nic

Okay, now I'm muddling through your *very* thorough response. I'll see if I can find a restore point first; I'd forgotten that option. Then I'll try to be brave enough to do the repair install. Gulp!

Seriously, thanks so much! You put a lot of thought into that. I'll try to do it justice and will get back to you. Life is intruding though and since it's not an end-of-the-world problem, it might be a few days before I report back.

Selective black icons in explorer and themes

Selective Black Screen on remote computer with RDPMy computer (Win7 - "A") used to log into another Win7 - "B" perfectly.
Yesterday during an RDP session on logout it lost the background and only offers a black screen.
Now If I log into Win - "B" I get a black screen.
However if I RDP into Win - "B" from a Mac it works normally.
It gets worse:...

Network & Sharing

Previews for icons are gone, windows explorer turns black when maximizWhen I set my icon view to large, the previews don't show. Medium does show them, and lists work fine. Not sure about other options. Also, when I open a folder from my desktop and maximize it, it turns completely black and all the stuff at the top disappears (the search, etc.). If I make it...

General Discussion

Can't Change Back to Default Windows 7 Icons from another Themes IconsHello, when i first got my compute i installed a custom theme changing basically evrything about my computer and its apearence on the desktop. This includes the icons as well. When i tried to revert back to the original windows 7 icons it seems that this theme (which is third party I should mention...

Customization

Had themes working fine, then screen went black save for icons !I don't know if this happens on a regular basis, but I have been
downloading updates from MS and was using the Dark Skies theme
from MS. All was working fine. They were shuffling, etc, when all
of a sudden the desktop screen went black save the different icons
I have going. It looks much like...

General Discussion

Setting Custom Icons for ThemesHow do you do that in Windows 7? (I use Home Premium) I know it was quite easy in Windows XP, but I can't figure out how to do it anymore.
What I need help with:
Setting custom icons for certain file types. IE: The default Folder icon to something different. Or, setting a different icon...